Breaking the Precept

Li Jianzhao was utterly bewildered after being tackled to the ground by the giant gourd. A slimy tongue slithered across his face repeatedly, even invading his mouth several times. Like a thunderbolt, realization dawned upon him about what was happening.

Bang!

Spiritual energy burst from his body, sending the gourd flying.

Furious, Li Jianzhao leaped to his feet. Sticky saliva dripped incessantly from his pointed chin, like a heavy downpour. Wiping his face, he nearly gagged in disgust. Summoning his weapon, the Iron Hook and Silver Stroke, he hurled it angrily at the gourd.

"You shameless lecher! How dare you insult me in broad daylight? I'll slaughter you!"

"Bah! No! Bah! Fellow Daoist, it's not what you think!"

The giant gourd was just as devastated. His precious first kiss was ruined, and he was labeled a lecher. He spat frantically while running as fast as he could, disappearing beyond Li Jianzhao's spiritual senses in a flash. But no matter how far he ran, it felt as though an invisible force was pulling him back toward Li Jianzhao, completely beyond his control.

I want to hug him! Lick him! So warm and delicious—ahhhh!

To restrain himself, the giant gourd hugged a tree like a koala.

Tears streamed down his face as he looked to the sky. Why is this happening?!

Meanwhile, Li Jianzhao stormed through the forest like a raging demon, vowing to tear the shameless scoundrel limb from limb.

Inside him, Jian Xiaolou was equally shaken. She had initially thought the giant gourd was just teasing her, but it seemed he hadn't lied. Reflecting on how the smaller gourd would cling to her and nibble affectionately, she slowly came to terms with the situation.

However, while the smaller gourd was shaped like a harmless vessel and was female, being hugged and licked by her was tolerable.

Being licked by a man was another matter entirely—horrifying, in fact.

What was even more terrifying was how she had ended up inside Li Jianzhao's body. Since her time at the Fire Refinement Sect, she had loathed him, even blaming the long-legged man for not killing him outright.

What should she do now?

The smaller gourd was in the hands of the giant gourd, and she needed to get her back. Since the giant gourd didn't seem malicious, she decided to try negotiating with him. After some thought, Jian Xiaolou prepared to quietly leave Li Jianzhao's body to speak with the gourd.

But she couldn't move.

Strange. She had used her soul-separating technique many times without issue. Why couldn't she leave now?

Muttering a few incantations, she still failed. Inside the dark confines of Li Jianzhao's body, she was at a loss. The outside world had gone eerily silent as well; she couldn't hear his cursing anymore.

A chill ran down her spine. Li Jianzhao had been subdued by something.

Could it have been the giant gourd?

Speculating yielded no answers. Hesitant, she didn't dare act rashly, though her heart was heavy with doubt.

About half an hour later, a hoarse voice broke the silence.

"Leader, the person has been brought."

This was followed by a faint reply from Bai Shifei.

Jian Xiaolou's head throbbed. Li Jianzhao had been captured and taken to the Heavenly Alliance. She recalled Me Ruoyu's words: Li Jianzhao was the most suitable candidate for the Tianling position in the Dingshan Array.

What would happen to her, trapped in his body?

Jian Xiaolou dared not think further. Speaking up now would be suicidal, but staying silent seemed no better.

When it rains, it pours.

At Shenzi Peak of Tianxing Mountain, the setting sun cast golden reflections on the water, while mist coiled in the dusk air. Bai Shifei, clad in his usual blue robe, stood beneath an immortal plum tree, gazing into the distance.

"Were the Li family aware of this?" he asked.

The black-robed cultivator carrying the unconscious Li Jianzhao on his shoulder replied, "This boy's spiritual meridians are destroyed. The Li family has completely abandoned him. No one cares."

Bai Shifei nodded slightly.

"Recently, I've sensed unrest among the Earth Spirits. It seems the absence of a Tianling position greatly impacts the array. Even if the Li family cared for this child, we couldn't delay any longer."

The black-robed cultivator added, "Leader, your efforts for Dongxian are unparalleled. Even if you had asked the Li family for him directly, they would have no reason to refuse."

"Unfortunately, people only seek benefits without willing to give."

Turning with hands behind his back, Bai Shifei said, "Let's go. To the Earth Spirit Gate."

At the Earth Spirit Gate, Mei Ruoyu observed Zhan Tianxiang, who had just withdrawn from the array.

"How was it?"

Zhan Tianxiang's pale face betrayed his exhaustion. Spiritual energy around him was chaotic, and his head throbbed with pain.

"I still can't get close to the array core," he said. "It's in the middle of a sea surrounded by wind blades. Nothing floats on the water's surface, and sea beasts drag me into the depths..."

"That's Weak Water," Mei Ruoyu said admiringly. "You've done well. I couldn't even glimpse the array core before almost going mad in the Heart Palace."

Zhan Tianxiang thought to himself that Mei Ruoyu was unaffected because he lacked a Heavenly Soul. Illusions like the Heart Palace were useless against him.

"Without your guidance, Senior Brother, I wouldn't have passed the first stage," Zhan Tianxiang said sincerely. He admired Mei Ruoyu from the bottom of his heart. The Dingshan Array was incredibly intricate—he wouldn't be able to unravel it even in a thousand years.

"I'll rest for a while before continuing," he said, sitting cross-legged to meditate. Mei Ruoyu placed a hand on his spiritual platform, sending him a steady stream of spiritual energy. Despite his curiosity about why Zhan Tianxiang seemed immune to the Earth Spirit's effects, he didn't pry.

"You're extraordinary, Junior Brother," Mei Ruoyu said, half-joking. "Not only a Dongxian native but also a member of the Zhan family..."

Zhan Tianxiang interrupted, "No matter who I am, such a cruel array shouldn't exist."

Mei Ruoyu fell silent.

After a brief rest, Zhan Tianxiang touched his brow, his body dissolving into the array once more.

This time, as he faced the Weak Water and its challenges, he began to notice something... off.